Portable management and monitoring system for eye drop medication regiment

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for medication management are provided. Some embodiments provide for a portable medication management and monitoring system for eye drop instillation in ocular chronic conditions. At least one embodiment includes a device having one or more of the following elements: (a) a jacket that goes around an eye drop bottle; (b) tactile sensors to detect the user&#39;s fingers and generate data to activate the system; (c) motion sensors to detect the motion of the medication bottle when it is grabbed and moved by the user; (d) a wireless communication module to send and receive data to a computer and portable communication devices; and/or (e) a compartment for holding the electronic components.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/281,001, filed May 19, 2014, entitled “PORTABLE MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING SYSTEM FOR EYE DROP MEDICATION REGIMENT,” which is a 371 of International Application No. PCT/US2013/066450, filed Oct. 23, 2013, entitled “PORTABLE MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING SYSTEM FOR EYE DROP MEDICATION REGIMENT,” which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/844,233, filed Mar. 15, 2013, entitled “PORTABLE MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING SYSTEM FOR EYE DROP MEDICATION REGIMENT,” which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/717,559, filed Oct. 23, 2012, entitled “PORTABLE MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING SYSTEM FOR EYE DROP MEDICATION REGIMENT,” all of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Various embodiments of the present invention generally relate to medication management. More specifically, some embodiments of the present invention relate to systems and methods for portable management and monitoring of an eye drop medication regiment.

BACKGROUND

Approximately thirty percent of medication prescriptions are never filled. In addition, approximately fifty percent of medications for chronic disease are not taken as prescribed. This lack of adherence has dramatic effects on health. Non adherence has been estimated to cost the U.S. health care system $200 billion annually. In ophthalmology, the problem of noncompliance is particularly significant in the management of chronic conditions such as glaucoma where a strict adherence to the medication plan is vital for preventing visual loss and blindness. Almost seventy-five percent of patients admit to some form of noncompliant behavior, over thirty percent do not fill their prescriptions, and nearly fifty percent discontinue prescribed drops within six months.

While forgetfulness is one barrier to medication adherence, it is not the only barrier. In addition, taking the medication at the wrong time, stopping too early or taking the wrong dose also represent other serious barriers. Unfortunately, there are no effective systems for managing adherence to a medication plan which can be vital for preventing visual loss and/or blindness.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present invention will be described and explained through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a medication management device in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an expanded view of a medication management device that may be used in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a side view of a user tilting a medication management device in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a view of a user using a medication management device to distribute eye drops in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a set of exemplary operations for using a medication management device in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a set of exemplary operations for determining if an eye drop has been released in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a set of exemplary operations for measuring medication adherence and user vitals in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention.

The drawings have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be expanded or reduced to help improve the understanding of the embodiments of the present invention. Similarly, some components and/or operations may be separated into different blocks or combined into a single block for the purposes of discussion of some of the embodiments of the present invention. Moreover, while the invention is amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are described in detail below. The intention, however, is not to limit the invention to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the invention is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various embodiments of the present invention generally relate to medication management. More specifically, some embodiments of the present invention relate to systems and methods for portable management and monitoring of an eye drop medication regiment. In some embodiments, a portable medication management and monitoring system is disclosed for eye drop instillation in ocular chronic conditions. Various embodiments of the system provide for a management care system that reminds (e.g., with visual or audible indicators) the user of the time and date of each eye drop instillation, notifies the user if any doses are being missed, records for medication management purposes each instillation, sends progress reports to the third-parties (family members or doctors), and provides a refill notification to the pharmacist. One advantage of the reminder system provided by embodiments of the present invention is the improvement in compliance with medication treatment routines and is advantageous for people who struggle remembering to instill their eye drops. The solution also improves the clinical outcomes.

Various embodiments of the device can include one or more of the following components: (a) a jacket that goes around an eye drop bottle; (b) tactile sensors to detect the user's fingers and generate data to activate the system; (c) motion sensors to detect the motion of the medication bottle when it is grabbed and moved by the user; (d) a wireless communication module to send and receive data to a computer and a portable communication device; and/or (e) a compartment for holding the electronic components.

Various embodiments of the present invention are compatible with a web-based medication adherence system. A user can log into the web-based system and load data regarding a medication regiment manually on a web site. This information can optionally be shared or sent to an eye care provider (e.g., for tracking medication adherence) or pharmacist (e.g., for automatic medication refills). In addition, some embodiments of the present invention provide for different types of external and/or device-based reminding systems such as automated text messaging, phone calls, or auditory (beeper) and visual reminders such as a flashing or changing color LED light. For example, in one embodiment, the text messaging system may allow a profile to be created the first time a user logs into the web-based system. The system may request or automatically populate information such as a phone number or email address

Various embodiments of the present invention provide for proactive and reactive reminding systems that require users to send back confirmation receipts (e.g., a text reply or simply an intuitive gesture using the mobile phone). For example, moving the mobile phone to simulate the gesture of eye drop instillation would say, “Yes, I took my eye drop”. Engaging the patient in the process improves and sustains the motivation for medication adherence. The system uses a small battery or can be charged on a small station.

In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that embodiments of the present invention may be practiced without some of these specific details. While, for convenience, embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to portable medication management, embodiments of the present invention are equally applicable to various other types of liquid dispensing and tracking needs outside of the medical industry.

Moreover, the techniques introduced here can be embodied as special-purpose hardware (e.g., circuitry), as programmable circuitry appropriately programmed with software and/or firmware, or as a combination of special-purpose and programmable circuitry. Hence, embodiments may include a machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that may be used to program a computer (or other electronic devices) to perform a process. The machine-readable medium may include, but is not limited to, floppy diskettes, optical disks, compact disc read-only memories (CD-ROMs), magneto-optical disks, ROMs, random access memories (RAMs), erasable programmable read-only memories (EPROMs), electrically erasable programmable read-only memories (EEPROMs), magnetic or optical cards, flash memory, or other types of media/machine-readable mediums suitable for storing electronic instructions.

Terminology

Brief definitions of terms, abbreviations, and phrases used throughout this application are given below.

The terms “connected” or “coupled” and related terms are used in an operational sense and are not necessarily limited to a direct physical connection or coupling. Thus, for example, two devices may be coupled directly, or via one or more intermediary media or devices. As another example, devices may be coupled in such a way that information can be passed therebetween, while not sharing any physical connection with one another. Based on the disclosure provided herein, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate a variety of ways in which connection or coupling exists in accordance with the aforementioned definition.

The phrases “in some embodiments,” “according to some embodiments,” “in the embodiments shown,” “in other embodiments,” and the like generally mean the particular feature, structure, or characteristic following the phrase is included in at least one implementation of the present invention, and may be included in more than one implementation. In addition, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiments or different embodiments.

If the specification states a component or feature “may”, “can”, “could”, or “might” be included or have a characteristic, that particular component or feature is not required to be included or have the characteristic.

The term “module” refers broadly to a software, hardware, or firmware (or any combination thereof) component. Modules are typically functional components that can generate useful data or other output using specified input(s). A module may or may not be self-contained. An application program (also called an “application”) may include one or more modules, or a module can include one or more application programs.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a medication management device in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the medication management device provides a jacket or expansion pack 100 to enclose a bottle of eye drops within opening 110. Jacket 100 can include a wing pressure mechanism 120, a tactile sensor 130, a drop sensor 140, and an electronic module compartment 150. Wing pressure mechanism 120 provides a mechanism for securing a bottle within opening 110 of jacket 100. In other embodiments, other mechanisms may be used. For example, inserts of different sizes may be sized to fit securely within opening 110 of jacket 100, and at the same time, provide a smaller opening for securing the bottle. In other cases, different materials may be used to line jacket 100 that are flexible enough to allow for insertion of a bottle.

Tactile sensor 130 can be used to provide a touch input interface (e.g., to detect the finger of a user). The user's touch can then activate/deactivate (i.e., turn on-off) the device. In some embodiments, the sensors can also detect and record other types of data such as pulse and heart rate. Drop detector sensor 140 can detect when a drop of liquid leaves the bottle. Drop sensor 140 could be an optical (e.g., LED/phototransistor) sensor capable of detecting if a drop has been released from the bottle. In these cases, when a drop is released from the bottle, the drop will refract a beam and produce a signal on the output. Drop sensor 140 may be placed at the top of the expansion pack and could be activated only in a specific position of the bottle to conserve power.

Electronic module compartment 150 can house one or more modules and/or components (e.g., processors, communication devices, integrated electronics, memory storage devices, batteries, etc.) of the medication management device. For example, in some embodiments, electronic module compartment 150 can include a gesture recognition module. The gesture recognition module can be used for detecting and providing the hand and bottle motion and position. In order to avoid false and unwanted motion measurement, in some embodiments, the gesture recognition module may be activated only when the tactile sensors detect the user's fingers' touch.

As another example, a wireless communication module can be used to send and receive data to and from a computer and portable communication devices. An embedded controller module can include signal preprocessing electronics. Still yet, the device may include Bluetooth wireless technology to send and load data to a mobile device or computer.

In some embodiments, jacket 100 may have integrated electronics and components embedded throughout. As illustrated in FIG. 2, electronic module compartment 150 can be removable from jacket 100. As a result, some embodiments provide for a plurality of jackets, each having openings of different sizes and lengths to hold different sized bottles. The jackets can be removed and interchanged with the electronic module compartment.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a user tilting a portable medication management device 310 in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention. Once a bottle is placed within the device and a user begins to interact with portable medication management device 310, various subsystems can be activated for tracking the user's activity. For example, when the user interacts (e.g., touches, moves, etc.) with the device, various sensors (e.g., drop sensors) can be activated. The user tilts portable medication management device 410 to distribute eye drops 430 from bottle 420, as illustrated in FIG. 4.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a set of exemplary operations 500 for using a medication management device in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 5, detection operation 510 uses one or more tactile sensors to detect a touch from the user. The tactile sensors may be used to produce tactile sensor data. The data can include information regarding amount of pressure on each sensor, length of touch, touching patterns, and/or other information. Upon detection of a touch from the user, the tactile sensor data can be used to activate a motion-sensing subsystem within the device. In some embodiments, for example, the motion-sensing subsystem may only be activated when a touch lasting more than a predetermined length of time (e.g., one second) is detected.

As the user moves the bottle during movement operation 530, the motion sensors are capable of detecting the bottle's motion and activating a drop sensor during activation operation 540. In some embodiments, if no movement is detected within a certain amount of time (e.g., ten seconds), the motion detectors may be deactivated. Once the drop sensor is activated, monitoring operation 550 determines if a drop has been released from the bottle. Data (e.g., number of drops, time, date, etc.) may then be transmitted to a medication adherence system or a communications device for processing and/or tracking.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a set of exemplary operations 600 for determining if an eye drop has been released in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 6, one or more tactile sensors can be used to detect user interaction with the medication management device during detection operation 610. In accordance with various embodiments, the tactile sensors may be actively monitoring for input from the user. In other embodiments, the tactile sensors may be a mechanical switch or button that requires a specific type of pressure, motion, or interaction in order to trigger a detection event having a set of tactile data. This data can be used to activate one or more drop sensors during activation operation 620. Determination operation 630 then determines if the drop sensor detects a drop being released from the bottle. Information regarding the drop (e.g., medication type, time of day, date, etc.) can then be transmitted to a medication adherence system during output operation 640. Output operation 640 may send updates automatically on a predetermined schedule or upon detection of an event. In some cases, wireless transmissions (e.g., cellular, Bluetooth, etc.) can be used to transmit the data.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a set of exemplary operations for measuring medication adherence and user vitals in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 7, detection operation 710 uses one or more tactile sensors to detect a touch from the user. The tactile sensors may be used to produce tactile sensor data. As discussed above, the data can include information regarding amount of pressure on each sensor, length of touch, touching patterns, and/or other information. Upon detection of the touch from the user, the tactile sensor data can be used to activate a motion-sensing subsystem within the device during motion-sensing activation operation 720.

As the user moves the bottle during movement operation 730, the motion sensors are capable of detecting the bottle's motion and activating a drop sensor during activation operation 740. Once the drop sensor is activated, monitoring operation 750 determines if a drop has been released from the bottle. Drop data (e.g., number of drops, time, date, etc.) may then be transmitted to a medication adherence system or a communications device for processing and/or tracking.

If motion-sensing operation 720 does not detect any movement of the bottle by the user, holding operation 770 determines if the user continues to hold the one or more tactile sensors (e.g., for more than five or ten seconds). Once a holding threshold has been exceeded, a pulse rate measuring algorithm may be activated during pulse rate activation operation 780 to measure the user's pulse rate, heart rate, or even blood chemistry. The pulse rate data can then be transmitted to another device and/or monitoring system.

Embodiments of the present invention include various steps and operations, which have been described above. A variety of these steps and operations may be performed by hardware components or may be embodied in machine-executable instructions, which may be used to cause a general-purpose or special-purpose processor programmed with the instructions to perform the steps. Alternatively, the steps may be performed by a combination of hardware, software, and/or firmware.

In conclusion, various embodiments of the present invention provide novel systems, methods and arrangements for management and monitoring of an eye drop medication regiment. While detailed descriptions of one or more embodiments of the invention have been given above, various alternatives, modifications, and equivalents will be apparent to those skilled in the art without varying from the spirit of the invention. For example, while the embodiments described above refer to particular features, the scope of this invention also includes embodiments having different combinations of features and embodiments that do not include all of the described features. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A medication management device comprising: a jacket configured to hold a bottle of eye drops; means for sensing a pressure of the bottle having been inserted into the jacket; means for sensing a drop of liquid leaving the bottle; means for recording allocation data that indicates whether the drop of liquid has left the bottle; means for sensing motion of the bottle; means for sensing tactile contact and activating and deactivating the means for sensing motion of the bottle; a processor coupled to a storage medium; the storage medium comprising instructions for: storing medication regimen data; storing the allocation data; and comparing the allocation data to the medication regimen data.
 2. The medication management device of claim 1, wherein the medication regimen data comprises one or more of a time, a date, a quantity, or a type of medication a user should administer.
 3. The medication management device of claim 2, further comprising: means for generating a reminder the user should place the drop of liquid within an eye of the user.
 4. The medication device of claim 3, wherein the means for generating the reminder comprises one or more light-emitting diodes that provide a visual reminder to the user.
 5. The medication device of claim 3, wherein the means for generating the reminder comprises one or more speakers that provide an auditory reminder to the user.
 6. The medication management device of claim 1, the storage medium further comprising instructions for: generating an adherence report based on the comparison of the allocation data to the medication regimen data.
 7. The medication management device of claim 6, further comprising: a wireless communication module configured to transmit the medication regimen data, the allocation data, the adherence report, or any combination thereof to a communications device.
 8. The medication management device of claim 7, wherein the communications device is associated with an eye care provider, a hospital, or a pharmacy.
 9. The medication management device of claim 7, the storage medium further comprising instructions for: generating a refill notification when a number of remaining doses in the bottle falls below a predetermined threshold.
 10. The medication management device of claim 9, wherein the wireless communication module is further configured to transmit the refill notification to the communications device.
 11. A medication adherence system comprising: a medication management device comprising: a jacket configured to hold a bottle of eye drops; a pressure sensor arranged such that activation of the pressure sensor indicates the bottle has been inserted into the jacket; a motion sensor configured to detect movement of the jacket and the bottle; a tactile sensor configured to activate and deactivate the motion sensor; a drop sensor configured to record allocation data regarding a drop of liquid leaving the bottle; and a wireless communication module configured to transmit the allocation data to a communications device configured to receive the allocation data from the medication management device, display the allocation data to a user via a medication management portal, and permit the user to manually enter supplementary data via the medication management portal.
 12. The medication adherence system of claim 11, wherein the communications device is further configured to send the allocation data, the supplementary data, or both to a second communications device associated with an eye care provider, a hospital, or a pharmacist.
 13. The medication adherence system of claim 11, wherein the communications device is further configured to remind the user a dose of medication should be administered.
 14. The medication adherence system of claim 13, wherein the communications device is a mobile device or a computer.
 15. The medication adherence system of claim 14, wherein the medication management portal is displayed to the user via a mobile application, a web-based application, or a web browser.
 16. The medication adherence system of claim 11, wherein the supplementary data comprises one or more of a time, a date, a quantity, or a type of medication that was administered by the user.
 17. The medication adherence system of claim 11, wherein the supplementary data comprises a confirmation receipt that indicates whether medication was administered, the confirmation receipt comprising a textual response, an audible response, a gestural response, or any combination thereof.
 18. The medication adherence system of claim 11, wherein the communications device is coupled to a storage medium comprising medication regimen data, the medication regimen data comprising one or more of a time, a date, a quantity, or a type of medication the user should administer.
 19. The medication adherence system of claim 18, wherein the medication management portal is configured to generate an adherence report based on a comparison of the allocation data and the supplementary data to the medication regimen data.
 20. A medication management device comprising: a jacket configured to hold a bottle of eye drops, wherein the jacket comprises a motion sensor to detect movement of the jacket and the bottle; a pressure sensor arranged such that activation of the pressure sensor indicates the bottle has been inserted into the jacket; a tactile sensor configured to activate and deactivate the motion sensor; a monitoring module configured to activate a drop sensor upon the motion sensor detecting movement, wherein the drop sensor records data regarding a drop of liquid leaving the bottle; a storage medium having stored thereon medication regimen data that comprises one or more of a time, a date, a quantity, or a type of medication a user should administer via the medication management device; and a wireless communication module configured to send a reminder to administer medication to the user, wherein the reminder is based on the medication regimen data.
 21. The medication management device of claim 20, further comprising: a removable electronic compartment comprising the monitoring module, the storage medium, and the wireless communication module.
 22. The medication management device of claim 20, wherein the reminder is a text message or a phone call transmitted to a communications device associated with the user.
 23. The medication management device of claim 21, wherein the removable electronic compartment can be attached to any of a plurality of jackets, the plurality of jackets having openings of different sizes and lengths to hold different sized bottles.
 24. A medication management device comprising: a jacket configured to hold a bottle of eye drops, wherein the jacket comprises a motion sensor to detect movement of the jacket and the bottle; a pressure sensor arranged such that activation of the pressure sensor indicates the bottle has been inserted into the jacket; a monitoring module configured to activate a drop sensor upon the motion sensor detecting movement, wherein the drop sensor records data regarding a drop of liquid leaving the bottle; a storage medium having stored thereon medication regimen data that comprises one or more of a time, a date, a quantity, or a type of medication a user should administer via the medication management device; and a wireless communication module configured to send a reminder to administer medication to the user, wherein the reminder is based on the medication regimen data.
 25. The medication management device of claim 24, further comprising a removable electronic compartment comprising the monitoring module, the storage medium, and the wireless communication module; wherein the removable electronic compartment can be attached to any of a plurality of jackets, the plurality of jackets having openings of different sizes and lengths to hold different sized bottles. 